MLK Day of Service

January 13, 2023

Barnstormers,

In 1944, Martin Luther King Jr. enrolled at Morehouse College, the historically black men’s college in Atlanta. He was just 15 years old. In his senior year, he wrote an essay on The Purpose of Education for the Morehouse newspaper. This passage is especially relevant to our mission at Thaden:

"A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction."

Context matters. Writing in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the young sociology student and future civil rights leader had seen Hitler rise to power in Nazi Germany on the pernicious fictions and rank falsehoods of racial supremacy. We honor Dr. King’s legacy by helping students develop the critical thinking skills they need as enlightened citizens – the ability “to sift and weigh evidence” and “to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.” This is education for democracy.

But Dr. King also recognized that analytical power is not enough: we must cultivate “intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” In that regard, it will be especially inspiring to see our school come together on Monday morning for a Day of Service in honor of Dr. King. Please read below for further details regarding these service opportunities that reflect credit on the character of a Thaden education and our commitment to this community.

Together we serve!

Clayton K. Marsh
Founding Head of School